Elements of Christmas
by Wolfborg007
Summary: Tsunami: A rebellious teenager, one of the most powerful elementals, and the niece of the infamous Miser Brothers. What happens when the young girl is plunged into a world unlike her own...NYC. What chaos and pandemonium will ensue? Rated T for safety
1. Waking Disaster

_**Elements of Christmas**_

_**Chapter 1: Waking Disaster**_

((_Disclaimer:_ I don't own the Miser Brothers…though I desperately wish I did…as cute as they are… anyway, um… yeah, I only own my OC's… Also, please shut off all cell phones and put away candy wrappers while in the theatre… it's distracting… Just kidding (But it is really distracting, seriously…)! Without further ado… here's the_ Elements of Christmas_! ))

The year was 1591 B.C, the month of March, and deep within the heart of the growing world, times were changing. It was planned to be one of the greatest celebrations of the millennium, even though the sky had darkened under the weight of billowing clouds, deep roars of thunder and cracks of lightning that enveloped the horizon; and it would all begin with the single piercing cry that floated through the restless air.

"Oh, darling, she's beautiful!" the wind seemed to murmur, "What are you going to name her?"

"I'm not sure," a quiet voice rumbled on the horizon. "She's so silent, and her…_talents_…haven't developed yet. It's hard to say."

"I can relate," the rain bubbled against the stones from the distant heavens above. "My Dewey didn't get his name until his third century. Probably because we thought he was a mortal with a notoriously long life-span."

"Dew," another muttered, almost pityingly. "No wonder y'all thought he didn't have any powers! What kind of bullshit ability is that???"

Without warning, a resounding crack echoed in the distance, followed by a yelp of pain.

"Don't you insult my baby!!!"

"Hey, just because your son can't even lift a boulder or two doesn't mean he deserves special treatment, Downpour!"

"Well, not everyone's child is meant to be a walking natural disaster, Sandstorm!"

"ENOUGH!!!" the universe itself seemed to shriek, causing an ominous silence to prevail. Mortals everywhere ducked into their homes, cowering in terror. They truly believed that they were all about to meet their maker. They were partially right—but it was not they, but this dysfunctional family of elementals, who would face this unholy wrath. And I bet you thought you thought they were a group of homeless hippies--_magical_ hippies who lived in the fourteenth century. Even that would be stretching your average drug trip.

The Elementals gulped. "M-mother…N-nature…" they croaked uneasily.

"I will NOT have you bumbling fools ruin this historic moment—my entrance—and most importantly, the birth of my granddaughter. You all KNOW what she is destined to become…"

The elementals all shuddered. "Y-yes, Mother Nature...of course we do…"

One of them got up, his flowing, purple hair, elegant features, and his long face stretched with a forced smile. He made his way over to the woman, whom they called Mother Nature.

"But many things are still so concealed…we were just waiting for your, _oh-so-graceful_ entrance for us to go any further… Mother, dear…" the Northern winds said.

Mother Nature scanned the nervous crowd with her sharp, green eyes.

"Why is only one of my sons here? Where _are_ the other two…?" she asked, putting her neatly manicured hands against her hips.

The family of Elementals exchanged glances of tension-filled unease… they _knew_ what was coming.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Your aim is terrible, brother! Every time you make a shot, you get colder!"

His hot-headed brother shook with obvious rage that was built up like magma within him,

"Your aim isn't much better! Perhaps I should melt that permanently frozen brain you have!"

A sharp ice-spear went flying past his pointed ear, and he ducked to get out of the way.

More shots were thrown, and few hits were made, but all was interrupted when thunder and a heavenly light crashed up above their heads. Suddenly both of them stopped dead in their tracks.

"You boys better not be fighting again!" a hefty, female voice roared.

"Of course not, Mother, dear…" The two answered in unison.

"Good! Now, do you _know_ where you boys are supposed to be?" the hefty voice demanded ominously.

The two boys exchanged glances and, still looking up at the sky, shook their heads.

There was no vocal answer, but instead lightening and thunder crackled and the two boys found themselves in the middle of a green garden "paradise", though to some, it was anything but.

"Finally, the _whole_ family is present!" Mother Nature chirped happily, but gave a quick glance at two of her sons.

They instantly stopped giving each other nasty, taunting glances and obediently joined the rest of the Elementals, taking seats at the opposite sides of each other of the rectangular table.

"Ah, the Miser Brothers… they _finally_ make it. Always showering us with some kind of trouble, those two…" Downpour mumbled, receiving nods of agreement from the other surrounding Elementals.

Another small cry pierced the air, and everyone turned to the young lady rocking a baby in her arms.

"Now boys… why don't you go greet Thunder and Lightning's daughter and your new niece?" Mother Nature asked glancing at all three of her sons.

The North Wind stood up first, almost enthusiastically going over to the small baby, while the two Miser Brothers hesitated, looking at their mother almost pleadingly.

"But Mother…" they both begged, "Do we really have to?"

Their mother gave them a stern look, and the pair stood instantly and made their way over to the baby and the two proud parents.

"Don't be afraid… she doesn't bite." Lightning said gently.

She then turned to the baby.

"Look dear, it's your uncles," she cooed, lifting the baby from her bundled, yellow and blue blanket.

The baby looked up with big, sky blue eyes, filled with a kind of false innocence that only babies could have.

"She's kind of cute…" one of them said, in some disbelief.

"Yeah, I guess so, Snowy… but it's kind of puny," the other said.

"Babies are supposed to be tiny, you idiot…" the North Wind huffed.

They both chose to glare at North Wind irritably.

"He just thinks he knows everything…" the hot head mumbled, receiving a snicker from his brother.

North Wind just gave another huff, and crossed his arms dramatically over his chest.

Lightning just giggled lightly,

"Don't fight you guys… you're setting a bad example for the baby." She cautioned.

The baby just continued looking up at her uncles and reached up to them, as though reaching out for their hands.

The two Miser Brothers looked at each other, then at the baby reaching their hands out to her.

However, a loud rumbling was heard, coming from the distance.

"Earthquake, is that your stomach again?" Mother Nature asked.

Earthquake looked around, and shook his large rock of a head.

"Wasn't me." He answered in his usual, deep tone.

Then, as if on cue, a large wave was seen coming from the horizon and all of the Elementals shot from their seats.

"Protect the baby!" Mother Nature demanded, and Lightning clutched to her child tightly, while Thunder puffed out his chest and put his broad arms over his wife and child.

The wave came on fast, and before anyone could react, everything was swept away by the monstrous force.

Down on earth, cities were destroyed, and lands all over entire civilizations were flooded in a catastrophe that had never been matched in history at the time.

Once everything had settled down, Mother Nature looked on at the damage that had been done on earth, and then at Lightning's baby.

"I've never seen anything like it!" Downpour stammered, "The pure, unharnessed power!"

"Are you sure she hadn't shown any signs of powers before this?" Sandstorm asked.

Thunder and Lightning shook their heads,

"No… none. That was the first sign of any power we've ever seen." Lightning explained, sounding almost afraid.

"How do you know it was the baby who did that?" The North Wind asked, highly skeptical of the entire situation.

The parents glanced at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Well, who else _could _it have been? I know for a fact that _none_ of us has that extent of power… besides Mother, of course…" The hot head replied.

Mother Nature went over to the baby, scooping her up in her arms.

"So, we know the extent of her abilities… for now." She said, "And I have an idea for her name… what about, _Tsunami_?"

"I think it's lovely." Lightning said, "It's graceful and elegant… fitting for a young girl with such talents."

"You mean a young _disaster_…" North Wind muttered under his breath, however, he couldn't help but be bothered by the extent of the infant's natural talent for destruction… something about it didn't seem right to him.

He stood musing for a while, away from the rest of the family, and the two Miser Brothers, after getting up awkwardly from the, now flooded, grass, noticed how their older brother was once again, isolated from them.

"Hey, what's ol' Windbag sulking about over there?" Snowy asked, giving a nudge to his brother and pointing.

"Dunno… but the goody-goody is probably thinking about how to do more favors for Mother." His brother answered undoubtedly, "He always is…"

They didn't give any other thought to the subject, and went to join the rest of the family, and their new niece.

The baby giggled happily, clapping her hands, much to the dismay of her other relatives… At this point, no one knew what could happen. However, upon seeing her uncles once again, she raised her arms, her fingers spread out wide, reaching for them as before.

Everyone looked around, all of there senses on guard for another wave, but none came. Instead, the young infant just grasped both their hands tightly.

The two Miser Brothers were absolutely stunned, but they looked at each other with wide grins.

A sweet baby girl… their niece… she could do no wrong in their eyes, no matter what had happened.

((_A/N:_ I hope you like it… and please don't judge me for writing this, as pathetic as it may be… In other words, everyone's allowed to be a dork on the Holidays, right?))


	2. Family Ties and Treacherous Bonds

_**Elements of Christmas**_

_**Chapter 2: Family Ties and Treacherous Bonds**_

((**Disclaimer:** Yes, I don't own the Miser Brothers, only my OC's… but you all know that…))

Centuries flew by, civilizations on earth continued to rapidly advance and develop, while young Tsunami grew quickly, as all children seem to do. Unlike most children, however, she caused much more trouble and was responsible for more property damage than Father Time ever could have been predicted.

Tsunami climbed onto the roof of their grey, cloud-like mansion. In the high altitude, the wind blew through her long, silvery blonde hair, and she closed her eyes, feeling the unadulterated euphoria of the moment. As she slowly opened her eyes, she spotted the oh-so-familiar, split red and blue atmosphere up in the near distance.

"The Southern Mountain range…" she thought with a wide grin, "Oh, past there… it must be the world of the humans!"

Her mind drifted, as she began thinking about her uncles. Despite the fact that they were goofy and, she hated to admit it, somewhat unthinking… they told some of the best stories. Her imagination ran wild as she vividly pictured her favorite story of all.

It all had happened only a few Christmases ago, and due to an accident involving Santa Claus' back, they were able to go down into the world of the humans and deliver toys all over the globe. Quickly, she found herself lost in her mist day dreams, but her mother's musical voice broke through her thoughts like a train-wreck.

"Tsu, dear, get down from there this instant!!" Lightning called, "You could hurt yourself!"

"But I can see Uncle Heat Miser and Uncle Snow Miser's houses from here!" Tsu squeaked gleefully, "Besides, I'm not a kid any more! I'll be fine!"

"Tsu, listen to your mother!" Her father's voice thundered from inside the house.

Tsunami sighed, brushing a silvery streak of blonde hair behind her ear.

"Do I have to…?" she whined irritably.

"Yes." Her father's voice roared again as the clouds rumbled along with him, almost as though in agreement.

"Okay…fine…" Tsunami answered, as she climbed down making her way onto the semi-solid ground.

Lightning watched her daughter filled with both relief and disappointment.

"Now Tsu… how many times have I told you that you can't go climbing up there." She scolded, as Tsunami mouthed the words along side her mother.

"Billions…" Tsunami muttered under her breath.

"That's right, young lady." Lightning said, "Now go inside, please, your studies are waiting for you."

"Whatever…" Tsunami answered, brushing past her mother and into the house.

Lightning just shook her head and followed her daughter into the house.

Her father watched her enter their spacious, grey home and he smiled in his usual, plump manner.

"What's got you so under the weather, sweetheart?" he asked, going over to her.

"I don't want to study." She complained, "Why can't I just stay on the roof? Grandma doesn't want the assignment for two days…"

Thunder laughed heartily, the clouds shaking as he did so.

Tsunami looked at her father in utter disbelief.

"First mom tells me to study, and now you're laughing at me?! What the heck?" She asked, "I didn't come off the roof for this…"

"Calm down, calm down, sweetheart." Thunder said, putting a large hand on his daughter's tiny shoulder, "It's just that you're as _striking_ as your mother when I first met her… and you're my daughter. It's all in good fun, honey."

Tsunami put her face in her hands as she listened to her father's unbearable puns… it was a habit that she couldn't stomach, and it, unfortunately, ran in the family.

She gave a desperate sigh, and made her way towards the foggy table without another word.

Thunder chuckled to himself as Lightning came to his side.

"You got her working?" she asked in a whisper.

"Of course, dear!" He answered, "But she always has her head in the clouds…"

"Sounds like someone we both know." Lightning answered teasingly.

"Ha, ha… very funny." He said, as she gave him a small kiss on his darkly toned cheek.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"So what are you telling me? The _girl _is the most powerful one?!"

The North Wind trembled in the shadow of the large presence that stood before him menacingly.

"Y-yes… m-my mother said so herself." He answered timidly, unable to look the figure in the eyes.

He was answered only by a loud, animalistic grunt and the agitated rustling of a cape.

"You're mother isn't trustworthy! But…you've done _decent_ work, for what it's worth…now go back and find out all you can." The shadow demanded, "I'll be waiting… as usual. WELL, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GET GOING!"

"Y-yes sir…" North Wind yelped and scrambled clumsily out of the ominous abode of the creature without another word.

The shadow growled lowly as he slinked deeper into the darkness of the cavern.

"That girl _will_ belong to me…by any means possible"

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Tsunami slowly, but steadily finished her assignment.

After throwing the pencil proudly on the table, she stood up.

"Finally, I'm done!" She said.

"Honey, did you say something?" Lightning asked, her head peeking out from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm done with my work!" she said, "Can I go back on the roof?"

Lightning gave a disapproving look.

"Tsu, what have I told you about going on the roof? It's dangerous! I don't want you falling and getting hurt." Lightning said, "I'm sorry, but I can't allow it."

Tsunami's face instantly fell.

"But I'm finished with my work…" She complained miserably.

"I think your safety is more important." Lightning said, "I'm sorry you want to go on the roof, but I can't allow you to back up there. I don't want to have to monitor you like a young child, but please… I don't want to have to tell you again."

Tsunami gave a sigh of contempt.

"Fine…" she said sitting back down in the chair, "I just don't know what to do now…"

"Why don't you read a book, or help your father with some things?" Her mother suggested.

It was then that another voice came through the room.

"I could always take the girl out."

In the doorway, The North Wind stood, looking as prim and proper as ever.

Both of them turned around, and Tsunami lit up as she saw him.

"Uncle Wind!" She said, going over to him, "Would you really take me somewhere?"

"Of course, my dear niece… how about we go and visit my other brothers over by the Southern mountains. I'm sure you'd like that." North Wind suggested, knowing full well how much she loved visiting them.

Tsunami's eyes lit up,

"I'd absolutely LOVE it!" she squealed happily, "Oh please mom! Let me go!"

Lightning looked at the two, feeling a certain twinge of unease at the thought, but her eyes landed on her daughter's pleading face, and she agreed. Even despite his past deeds, he was family after all… and that would be no reason to judge him.

Tsunami leaped in the air joyfully, and gave her mother a tight hug.

"Thanks!" She said happily.

Lightning was startled at first by the sudden affection, but gladly returned the embrace.

"Whenever you're ready, my dear, we'll leave." The North Wind said, waiting patiently for his young niece.

"Okay, I'm ready to go." She said, her eyes burning with enthusiasm.

He chuckled deeply,

"Alright darling… just take my hand, and we'll be off." He said.

Tsunami gave him an odd look, but did as she was told. His touch was distinctly cold, and it sent shivers down her young frame.

They left the domain of her parents and headed swiftly towards the Southern Mountain Range.

"You're a real life saver…" Tsunami said looking at her Uncle.

He just smiled,

"I'm glad to help, dear. Remember, I'm _always_ there for you." He said, "No matter what it is."

Tsunami nodded with a certain understanding.

"Thanks." She said, and before she knew it, they were in the middle of the two divided territories.

She gasped.

It was as beautiful as she remembered it, despite the odd sensations of experiencing extreme hot and extreme cold at the same time… but she remembered that too.

"Oh dear brothers of mine, I have brought you a visitor!" The North Wind called, cupping his hand around his mouth to amplify the sound.

Shuffling and what sounded like the breaking of ice was heard, and soon the two brothers emerged from their separate abodes.

"What is it, you windbag?" the hot headed one demanded.

"Yes, what visitors?" The opposite one inquired in his usual, cool demeanor.

"Uncle Heat Miser, Uncle Snow Miser, you must remember me!" Tsunami exclaimed.

The two brothers' faces softened and they made their ways down to meet her. Snow Miser, of course beat his brother, sliding smoothly down the icy pathway, but slowly and surely, the other brother joined the small gathering as well.

"Well, Nami, how have you been?" Heat Miser asked, tilting his head slightly and giving as much of a smile as she could muster.

"Good… but mom has kept me busy." She said simply, "I always have to do work, and stuff…"

"Well, it's all necessary, my little snow ball. Your mother, who is also our sister, always means the best. She's just looking out for you." Snow Miser said, putting a cold hand on her shoulder.

Nami shivered slightly, but looked up at them with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess you're right… I mean, she did let me visit you guys." She said with a casual, nonchalant shrug.

The two Miser Brothers nodded in satisfaction, while North Wind just watched quietly.

"That's the spirit. You're as bright as the sun itself." Heat Miser said patting her other shoulder proudly.

"Well, why don't we all go into my home and have something cool to drink." Snow Miser said, "I'm sure you could use it."

"Sure Uncle Snowy." Tsunami said, as they all followed him into the icy domain.

((**A/N:** Happy 2009, everyone!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll have the 3rd one up really soon! ))


	3. A Sudden Kidnapping

_**Elements of Christmas**_

_**Chapter 3: A Sudden Kidnapping**_

((**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Miser Brothers, _Jesse's Girl_, or Tavern on the Green…only my OC's. Yeah… depressing isn't it? ))

He always loved it when the crowd cheered his name. It always felt the same; the unchanged jolt of cold electricity pulsing through his body with every chant.

"Zach! Zach! Zach!"

He'd just smile and wave underneath the hot, colored spotlights of the club which he called home.

After he performed, _Jesse's Girl _for his band's encore piece, he gathered up his custom guitar and made his way back stage.

His forehead, which sat underneath the shade of his mess of dark, but lightly tipped hair, was lined with sweat and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

"They loved ya, man." His friend and drummer, Tony complimented, slapping him on the back as the next band went on.

"Yeah, they always do." He said nonchalantly.

Tony chuckled and followed his best friend to their dressing room.

As Zach ran the comb through his messy and sweaty hair, his girlfriend entered. She was extremely skinny, wearing her usual pink, chain-lined mini-skirt and skimpy top… no matter what the weather was.

"Hey Zachy, baby, you did great!" she said, throwing herself on him, though he gave dark-haired Tony a rather flirtatious glance that Zach's obliviosity missed.

"Thanks, Sherry… you know you're my inspiration." Zach answered with a smirk, as Sherry seemed to swoon in his arms.

"Oh Zachy… you're too sweet." She said, kissing his cheek, "So, where are we going to eat tonight, now that your _big gig_ is over?"

"How about you and me hit the fanciest restaurant in the city?" Zach suggested, "_Tavern on the Green_, perhaps?"

Sherry's eyes lit up,

"Oh baby, really? You _always_ know how to make a girl feel special…" Sherry asked, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

Zach chuckled,

"Well, you're the only girl for me, Sher." He said walking out of the club, his arm tightly around her tiny waist.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Lightning, have you seen Tsunami around?" Thunder asked.

"I let her visit my brothers." Lightning answered, "She'll probably be back before night fall. Why?"

Thunder just shrugged,

"I was just wondering." He said, "Things have been quieter when she's not here. It's kind of…odd."

Lightning giggled,

"I know what you mean, darling." She said, "But don't you worry. My brothers are much more careful when she's around and she won't be staying over."

Thunder nodded, putting his large arms around his tiny wife,

"I know." He said, "But I am her father, and it's my job to worry about her."

Before she had a chance to reply, a loud rumbling was heard outside their domain.

"Honey, was that you?" She asked, looking up at him.

Thunder returned her glance and shook his head, puzzled.

"No, not this time." He answered, "I'll go check it out…"

Lightning nodded, becoming suddenly fearful.

What _was_ going on?

Thunder opened the misty door of their home, expecting to see, perhaps, his daughter, but no one was there.

"Very odd…" he thought.

His thoughts were then broken by the sound of Lightning's fearful scream.

He rushed back into the kitchen to see a large claw grasping her and pulling her out the window.

Thunder's eyes filled with a kind of rage that was rare for the, usually gentle Elemental.

"Let go of her!" He bellowed, as their home shook ominously with his anger.

He was answered only by a malicious laugh.

"If you want her, come and claim her!" the creature said, as it climbed onto the roof.

Thunder followed the creature as Lightning continued to fight back with her own powers; yellow bolts cracked through the sky and struck the creature's armored hide several times.

But it only returned the desperate strikes with more harsh laughter and added pressure put on her tiny frame.

"My dear… I don't _want_ to hurt you… but sometimes I just don't know my own strength." The creature said, pointing its reptilian nose towards her elegant face as he smirked mischievously.

Slowly, he flapped his black, scaled wings about to take off into the permanently cloudy sky. Thunder, seeing his wife disappearing into the distance, formed a dark, storm cloud between his hands and jumped onto it, taking after his captured wife and her vicious captor.

The dark monster snorted seeing the bulky elemental come after him.

"If you want her, come and claim her!" The dragon laughed, flapping his wings with more force and quickening his pace.

Thunder braced himself as he too, hastened with pure determination.

There would be no way he would let him go without a fight.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

Tsunami sat on one of the many ice sofas that her uncle had as she held a cold glass of water in-between her hands.

"So, how's that 'boyfriend' of yours…Dewy?" Heat Miser asked, trying to make conversation with his niece.

Tsunami's expression turned to one of irritation as she thought of him.

Dewy… now, it wasn't that she disliked him, but he was…well, a wimp.

"He's not my boyfriend…" the young elemental growled, with such loathing that the two Miser Brothers cringed slightly at the possibility of inciting a wrath that only rivaled that of their mother, "He's too much of a geek to be my boyfriend."

"W-well, sorry to bring him up then." Heat Miser quickly apologized.

The North Wind, as they talked just sat filled with obvious boredom as he stared off towards the icicle lined ceiling.

"I wonder how the _plan_ is going… perhaps I should check on the status… I'm sure he'd _want_ me to…" he pondered, his mind completely on a different level than that of his two siblings.

Standing up, he looked over at the three conversing elementals and he cleared his throat to capture their attentions.

"Well, it seems as though I must be going. I know you all will be quite upset to see me go, but I have a few gusts to check on in the Canadian region… you know how duty calls and all that. Nami, dear… I think it's time for you to return home… after all, I _am_ the one who your parents put in charge of watching you.

Tsunami's face fell,

"Do I have to?" she asked, looking disappointed at the fact that she had to leave.

"I'm sorry to tear you away from my _dearest_ brothers' company, but time waits for no one. We should get going… I'm sure your parents are dreadfully worried about you." North Wind said as gently as he could.

Tsunami finished her water, handed the translucent cup back to her icy uncle and then walked over to the North Wind.

"I guess you're right." She said defeated, "Uncle Heat Miser, Uncle Snow Miser, it was great seeing you again."

"Yes, we'll have to get together very soon… and perhaps you can bring your parents along as well. We haven't seen our older sister in ages!" The Snow Miser said, waving his hands to emphasize his words.

The Heat Miser nodded in agreement,

"Yeah, and we love your company, Nami." He added, "I'm sure, now that you're getting older, that you'll be able to get out on your own more and come visiting us. You are our niece after all."

"Yes Uncle Heat Miser, I know I am." She said, as the two Miser Brothers went over to her, and pulled her into a tight bear hug.

Tsunami giggled lightly as The North Wind just watched rolling his eyes.

"We'll see you too, brother." Heat Miser said, glancing at the North Wind.

"Yes, just because you tried to assassinate Santa Claus and steal Christmas doesn't mean that you can't come around once in a while." Snow Miser said, crossing his arms over his blue jacket.

"I'll see what I can do… now, Tsunami, I believe we should get going." He said, trying to hurry the young girl out.

Tsunami nodded and followed him out.

"Bye, you guys! I'll see you soon!" Nami said, as she gripped the North Wind's hand and they took off into the sky.

"Good bye, Nami!" they both said in unison, watching her go.

She waved until they were out of sight, and only the split horizon could be seen.

They flew for a short period of time and soon Tsunami's home finally came into sight. The young girl sighed. She was in a much better mood, and looked somewhat forward to seeing her parents again, but once she landed, a familiar, but unwanted face intercepted her instead.

"Helllooo Nami."

Tsunami sighed, looking at the North Wind, and hoping he'd save her from the dorky character…. But no rescue came this time.

"Hello Dew." She said flatly in an almost disgusted monotone.

"I've been looking for you all day! I missed you, baby-cakes." He said, running a blue hand through his equally blue hair.

"Don't call me that…" Tsunami muttered, as the temptation to light him on fire or get him stuck in an "unexplainable" tornado, ran through her thoughts like a fox, "ever again…"

"Oh, don't be like that… just because I haven't come to visit you doesn't mean I don't love you! You're my girlfriend after all!" Dew said, going to put an arm around her.

Tsunami pushed him away, absolutely disturbed.

"What did I say about touching me?!" She growled.

Dew paused, stopping to filter his thoughts for the answer, but he only looked at her with a blank expression.

Tsunami sighed loudly, feeling absolutely frustrated.

"Don't do it!!" She yelled at him, her raging temper starting to boil, "Now what do you want? Why are you here?"

Dew took a few more seconds to ponder, but then it clicked and he looked sincerely worried.

"Your parents are missing!" He exclaimed frantically.

Tsunami looked at him, skeptically.

"What?" she asked, not believing him.

"Your parents… they've gone missing!! No one can find them. Mother Nature has sent out several of her gofers to see if they can find them… She believes that they've been kidnapped." Dew yelped.

Tsunami, filled with a sudden panic pushed him roughly aside, heading into her home. The North Wind, however, turned his back to conceal a nasty smirk… he finally had an idea of where the plan was going.

"Mom, Dad?!" Tsunami called, hoping for any response from them, but none came, "Mom, Dad, where are you?!"

Her eyes filled with sudden tears of confusion and worry. Dew and the North Wind followed her in. Dew tried to comfort her, but his contact was one of the last things she wanted.

The North Wind then spotted a note on a shredded piece of paper, and after reading it himself, he handed it to Tsunami.

"Nami, I think I found something that could be important." He said, handing it to her.

Tsunami quickly took it and read the note:

"_Foolish girl, _

_I have your parents. Look for them all you want, but I doubt that you will be successful… You may be wondering why I have taken your dear parents, but never fret, you will find out soon enough… but until then, I will leave you guessing. I'll give you a hint though, to get your imagination flowing… they aren't in the world that you know currently. Well, happy searching… I'm sure that I'll be seeing you soon…_

_~ Smog"_

After she had read the note, she threw it to the ground.

"Who is this _Smog_ fellow, anyway? Who does he think he is to take my parents?!" She said, her voice shaking with rage, "I'll kill him when I find him! I'll make sure of that! But until then, I have to find them… Uncle North Wind… he said that they're not in the world I know now… could you take me…"

She paused, trying to think of what was meant by the statement, but then it hit her.

"Uncle North Wind, could you take me to the world of the humans? I know you've been there before!" She said suddenly.

"Of course, dear." The North Wind said, "We could go right now, if you wanted to."

Tsunami nodded,

"That'd be best." She said.

"Could I come, baby?" Dew asked, in his usual nasally tone as he looked up to her.

"No." Tsunami said firmly, "But if you _do_ want to make yourself useful, you could stay here… just in case my parents come back."

Dew saluted her,

"I'll do my best for you, my beloved!" he said.

Tsunami just sighed, trying not to snap at him, but then looked at her Uncle. Taking his hand, the two headed off, to the primitive and nearly unexplored world of the humans.

(( I hope you enjoyed this chapter also! I'll have the 4th one up as soon as I can. Well, don't forget to read and review! Oh, and thanks for the positive feedback I've been getting on the story! It really helps push me along with the updates! ))


	4. Reluctant Tension

_**Elements of Christmas**_

_**Chapter 4: Reluctant Tension**_

((**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Miser brothers; only my OC's… please don't take them without permission, but I'll gladly let you torture them all you want if you ask!!))

"Thunder?! Lightning! Where are you?!"

"Please, answer us!!"

Mother Nature and many other elementals searched frantically for the missing elementals. Her mind swam with worry and her hands trembled.

"There's no sign of any of them, ma'am." Sandstorm said, going over to her.

The tan elemental ran his rough hands through his smooth "hair". His brown eyes were filled with obvious pity as he looked upon the worried mother.

"Have any of you found anything?" he called, cupping his hand over his mouth.

The others mumbled their "no's" but Dew raised his hand and waved it, as though he were brandishing a sword.

Mother Nature's eyes filled with a sudden hope, and she went over to him.

"What is it, dear?" she asked, "What do you know?"

"It's about the disappearance… they _were_ kidnapped, by a guy named Smog! He left Tsunami a note telling her that they were in a different world. She went with the North Wind to the world of the humans to look for them!" Dew said, sounding almost breathless as he had said the entire phrase in one breath.

Mother Nature's eyes widened.

"Who did you say kidnapped my daughter and her husband?" She asked.

"Smog." Dew repeated, "He sounds like a real creepy guy if you ask me."

Mother Nature didn't answer, but only called over Sandstorm and several of the other older elementals, such as Downpour and Evergreen, his wife.

"Smog has finally returned…" she whispered, causing much tension between those who were able to hear her.

"Well, what do you suggest we do? That sneak could be anywhere…" Downpour growled in a harsh whisper.

"Yeah, he easily slipped through our fingers last time we encountered him…" Sandstorm added ruthlessly.

Dew stood on his toes, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation, like a young child but was dreadfully unsuccessful.

"No one will make any moves yet… I don't want to make any reckless moves… my brother has a deep plan, and will be ready for any recklessness we throw at him. I will not have him underestimated, because then someone will get hurt, understood?" she asked.

They nodded in understanding.

"I don't want to just sit here, either! There must be something we can do." Downpour said, feeling helpless, "We can't allow him to kidnap two of the most important elements!"

"Yeah," Sandstorm added, "I've never forgiven him for what he attempted to do to my family, that monster…"

Evergreen put a compassionate hand on both of their shoulders as she too, silently showed her worry… she just had no words to describe it. She looked at Downpour, then to Mother Nature.

"I wish I could tell you more… but we _must_ wait for Smog's next move." She said, her voice as firm as her glance, "That goes for all of you, understood?"

The elementals nodded,

"Yes, Mother Nature…" they answered in unison.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

Thunder woke in a strange place. In front of him were bars made of thick quartz and next to him, he noticed his wife, out cold.

"Lightning…" he said, filled with concern, "Honey, wake up…"

He lifted her gently off the ground, pulling her close to him. He shook her gently, calling her name several more times.

A tired moan escaped her delicate lips and his eyes filled with relief.

"Good…you're alright…" he said with a sigh.

Lightning opened her yellow eyes and after seeing her husband, looked around.

"Where are we?" she asked, her shaky voice showing how she was becoming frightened.

"I don't know…" Thunder answered, trying to comfort her as best as he could, "But I'll figure it out, I promise you…"

A large shadow emerged, and the rustling of a cape was heard. Through the darkness, only the dark figure and the gleaming of fangs could be seen.

"Ah…finally, you're awake…" The voice said, in a slimy tone that made both of the elementals shudder, "I was waiting oh-so patiently for this moment…"

Thunder stood and made his way angrily towards the bars, clamping his hands around them.

"Let us go!" He demanded deeply, his voice resounding through the cavernous interior.

The figure laughed,

"I think not! Besides, I think you are in no position to be demanding _anything_ from me… you are, in _my_ dungeon after all." He said, almost mockingly.

Thunder's hands tightened and Lightning watched on, her powers seemed to be much weaker than they usually were, and she felt extremely weary.

"Besides," the figure added smartly, "your energy should be fading fairly soon… my lair is draining to most elementals and their treasured powers."

Thunder hesitated, let go of the bars and looked at his hands… they _did_ feel much weaker.

"What have you done?!" He demanded.

The figure didn't answer for a while but only went over to a table, where papers were scattered along with vials and test-tubes. One purple vial sat alone, and he picked it up with his claws, uncorked it and drank its contents…most of it spilling down his scaled muzzle.

"Oh, nothing much…just a tiny contraption I have invented…for the family and the other clans of Elementals…" He said as he emerged from the shadows, "Child's play, really…if you think hard enough about it that is…"

Thunder's eyes widened as he finally got a good look at their captor. He appeared to be a dragon with dirty gray scales, tattered and folded wings, and yellowed teeth that stank of fish, pollution and death. His hands lined with ebony claws and an agitated tail that swayed back and forth like a cat in waiting. The rest of his body was hidden by a long, crimson cape that was held by the brooch of a dragon holding a rose, quartz heart within its claws.

Thunder found himself extremely confused… he was much larger when he was chasing him and until he was knocked out of the sky by the monstrous tail, he was sure that the creature was as big as a moderately sized island…but now, he seemed to be nearly his size, perhaps a tad taller.

The dragon's cold lips curled into a reptilian smile.

"You seemed confused…are you wondering why I have brought you here?" He asked, chuckling.

"Actually, no…" Thunder replied, causing the dragon to look almost puzzled for a few seconds, "It's just that you were a much larger dragon before… now you're smaller...what powers do you have? Are you an Elemental, or something else?"

The dragon smiled,

"You are quite a fool, aren't you?" He asked, pacing in front of their cell, "I'm surprised your _mother-in-law_ never mentioned me to you… after all, I am the biggest threat you will ever encounter in your, hopefully, millennium filled life… but since you asked nicely, I'll be pleased to tell you… My name is Smog… please; tell me that my name is _at least_ familiar…"

"Smog…yes, Mother Nature has told me something about you… or perhaps Lightning has told me...you're a rogue elemental, aren't you; One that controls death and destruction?" Thunder asked, growing more nervous by the second.

Smog smirked, showing his gleaming yellow fangs.

"You're quite right about most of it… but did she tell you this? I'm technically, _your Uncle_!" Smog laughed.

Thunder's eyes widened at the news,

"You're…Mother Nature's…BROTHER?!" He stammered.

Lightning shrank back, finally placing the hideous face with the even more hideous name.

Smog nodded, placing the empty vial back on his desk and taking more steps towards the bars.

"Yes." He answered, "So, my _dearest_ niece and nephew… let's just hope your darling daughter makes it out better than you do…"

Both parents gave each other concerned glances. As Lightning's golden eyes filled with anxious tears, Thunder turned his attention back to Smog with a filling rage.

"You lay one claw on my daughter, and I'll crush you!" He roared, the cavern shaking from the mere volume of his voice.

Smog traced the bars of the cell with the claw that would be the equivalent of his right index finger.

"I'm sorry… but the deeds are almost done… little Tsunami has already gone looking for you, or so my puppet has told me… He answered, his eyes slowly coming to meet Thunder's angry gaze and his mouth once again becoming a malicious smirk.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

"Let's land down there!" Tsunami said, pointing to a large city as she and the North Wind flew over head.

North Wind only nodded, slowly bringing her down to land in an isolated area of a park within the city.

"Hey, I thought we were going into the city!" Nami said, "Uncle North Wind, what's going on?"

The North Wind looked at her,

"I'm going to drop you off and join the rest of the search party… I also have to alert my brothers of what has happened to Lightning. I wish I could stay longer, but I'm _so_ worried about my dear sister… You're a big girl now, I'm sure you can handle looking for your parents, right?" He said, sounding as woeful as he possibly could, "Besides, I don't want to be seen looking like this? I'm completely frazzled… but you understand."

Nami's expression turned to one of complete determination.

"Of course!" she said, "You can count on me!"

"Very good! I'll see you, and good luck!" He said, rising up into the air.

Tsunami watched him leave, and once he was out of sight, she headed into the city. The temperature was warmer than what she was used to, living in the Northern part of the world, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of intimidation. She had never been on her own before, and it made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"What if I mess up?" she thought to herself, "Mom and dad could be hurt! It's all my fault!!"

Tears filled her usually strong eyes once again, but she blinked them back.

"No, I don't have time to cry, I have to find them!" She said, chastising herself.

She bounded into the forest of skyscrapers like a hurricane. She received many odd glances from passerby, most of them wondering about her curiously skimpy outfit. It was a thin blue dress, and for December, two weeks before Christmas, they were almost worried about her health.

"Such a pretty girl shouldn't be wearing such things in this cold weather…" a businessman thought to himself, but made no moves to stop her.

Nami just kept running, swerving in and out of people as though they were slow moving cars. She ran for blocks, crossing streets without looking and having plenty of horns and adulterated words being yelled at her in plenty of different languages. However, she just ignored them and ran until she could run no more… when she stopped, she was utterly exhausted and clear that there was no sign of her parents from where she was.

She looked around, not knowing where on earth she was and feeling more than worried about her parents.

She sat down on a stoop, pulled her knees up to her chest and laid her head down on the tops of her knees.

"Now what do I do?" she thought to herself, pondering as deeply as she could.

A voice, however, pulled her out of her deepening despair.

"Hey, what are you doing, sitting there? You sick 'er something?" the voice asked.

Nami looked up to get a better look at the speaker.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Zach. Zach Taylor… what about you?" he asked, running a hand through his messy hair.

"I'm Nami." The young elemental said, standing up and smoothing out her dress, "Do you live here?"

Zach gave a casual shrug,

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." He said, "What about you? I don't think you're from here… you must be from the richer part of town… or not from New York at all."

"New…York? What's so _new_ about it… it looks pretty rundown to me." She observed innocently.

Zach laughed,

"You gotta be kidding right? This is New York City, the 'Big Apple'! You're definitely not from around here… are you from Europe or something?" He asked, becoming more intrigued by this pretty blonde.

Nami hesitated.

"_Should I tell the truth?" _she pondered nervously, _"He is human after all... I don't wanna take the risk…"_

"Yeah, that's it. I'm from Europe… just got here. I flew." She said.

"Oh, that's pretty neat…it must be pretty warm over where you're from… don't you know it's winter? You should be wearing' a jacket or something."

Nami shrugged,

"I guess." She said, not knowing what else to say.

"Well, come on…" he said, "Do you have any money? I could take you to a few places and get you some clothes."

Nami shook her head,

"No… I don't have anything…" she said.

Zach looked at her, absolutely stunned.

"Well, I'll tell you what… I've got a gig tonight… you can….y'know, tag along if you want to." He offered, not wanting to leave a pretty girl like her out in the cold.

"I-I'd love to!" Nami said lighting up, "It sounds like fun…but what exactly is it?"

"A gig…y'know, a rock concert… with music? I know you have music in Europe… it's pretty good." Zach said.

"Yeah, of course we do!" She said, "I love music."

Zach smirked,

"Yeah, so do I." he answered, "But, before you go my gig, you gotta get a change of clothes… you can't be seen wearing _that_…"

Nami looked at him, absolutely insulted,

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, folks that hang out in the club… they can be kinda weird, y'know?" He said, trying to explain the uncomfortable subject, "I mean, you're not wearing too much… I mean, don't get me wrong… you're pretty _hot stuff_."

Nami laughed,

"You're starting to sound like my Uncle… he always says that to me all the time!" she said.

Zach looked at her, feeling a blend of amusement and disturbance at the same time.

"You're uncle says…what?" he asked, "Oh, never mind… let's just get you something new to wear…"

Nami took his hand, but he pulled away.

"Sorry, but I'm not that kind of guy… I got a girlfriend, y'know." Zach stated.

Nami nodded,

"I understand." She said, "Let's get going!"

It was for that split second that she came to realize that she was on her _very own_ adventure, and she was absolutely thrilled.

((**A/N:** I just wanted to say that in the last chapter, I don't own "Lord of the Rings" (I quoted it, for those of you who caught it), or Dragon Ball Z (I made a quick reference to it). Yeah, please don't kill me… Anyway, yeah…I hope you liked it, and please leave a comment or review, I really appreciate them! I'll update soon, probably within the next 7 days. Anyway, until then!! ))


	5. New Surroundings and Familiar Memories

_**Elements of Christmas**_

_**Chapter 5: New Surroundings and Familiar Memories**_

((**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this… only my OC's…))

They entered the store. Music, which sounded more like someone being stoned to death, blared through the speakers, as racks of baggy, word-bearing, chain covered types of clothing filled the store to the ceiling. Plasma televisions hung all about the store showing footage of skateboarders, trick bikers, and rap singers… all of it was new to the young elemental and she felt out of the loop with her new surroundings.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Nami asked as she looked around nervously.

Zach looked back at her with a puzzled look on his handsome face,

"Of course it is… I go shopping with Sherry here all the time." He said nonchalantly.

Nami looked at him,

"Sherry?" she inquired.

Zach's eyes widened with realization,

"Oh, I didn't tell you about her…did I?" he asked, "She's my girlfriend."

Nami just nodded in an understanding,

"I see… well, where is she now?" she asked.

Zach pondered it for a moment and shrugged,

"I don't know… but I'll probably call her later… she's probably out with her friends somewhere…" He said, "She loves to go shopping, whether I'm there or not…"

Nami just nodded, though something about it didn't seem right to her.

She scanned the shelves, looking around…though she wasn't _exactly_ sure of what she was looking for in the first place.

Zach watched, noticing her obvious confusion and went over to her.

"Too much stuff to handle?" he asked, chuckling as he did so.

"She's so weird…" he couldn't help but think to himself, "It's like she's never been shopping before."

Tsunami looked at him, feeling embarrassed and stupid, but she nodded, as it _was_ the truth.

"Yeah…" she admitted, her cheeks reddening up.

"Well, first of all…you're looking in the men's section…you should be looking over here…" He said, gently leading her over to the girl's section of the store, "Second of all…just pick out something you like… you can always try it on later."

Nami looked at him, giving him a gentle smile with her blue eyes.

"Thanks… why do you know so much about these things?" She asked.

It was suddenly Zach's turn to be embarrassed,

"Well…I…uh…It's just that…I, y'know… I'm always taking Sherry shopping… I guess I just got used to the routine and all." He said, "I'm not…y'know… into guys or anything…"

"I understand." Nami said, though she was only lying halfway, because she didn't want him to feel as stupid as she was starting to, "It's just that we don't have anything like this where I come from."

Zach shrugged,

"Makes sense to me…I guess…" he said, watching her pick only a few things off the shelf, very carefully, as though she'd be punished for making a wrong move.

Zach moved closer to her,

"Well, we don't have all day…my gig starts in a few hours… I gotta grab my gear and pick up Sherry… just pick out whatever you want… I'll pay." He said.

"Don't worry… I think I've got it all." She said, holding up a small outfit, "I should…try it on then…?"

Zach nodded,

"Uh-huh." He said, "Make sure it fits well…it shouldn't be uncomfortable."

"Okay." Nami answered as she entered the fitting room cautiously.

This was entirely new to her, and, for the first time in her life, she felt timid…. It was an odd sensation and her hands trembled as she thought about it. Slowly, she slipped into the new outfit, removing the old one and looked at herself in the mirror.

The outfit she had picked out was elegant, yet rough at the same time. The bottoms were ripped jeans that sparkled slightly, her top consisted of a sky blue tank top, and a black jacket with a furred collar. As she gazed into the mirror she smiled recklessly.

"Wow, I look really good…" she thought to herself as she spun around, examining every angle of herself, "This shopping thing was a pretty good idea…for a human that is."

When she exited the dressing room, wearing the outfit that she picked out, Zach was nearly stunned, and he found himself growing awkward and nervous in her presence.

"You look…you look…um…great." He said forcing a smile.

"You really think so?" Nami asked excitedly.

Zach nodded,

"Really great! You'll fit in perfectly at my gig tonight! Guys will be climbing all over themselves to be with you, so you better watch out." He said without exaggeration.

Nami smirked,

"Well, that sounds…exhilarating!" she said, "So…after you pay for this stuff, where are we off to then?"

"Probably back to my place to pick up my stuff… then I gotta check on Tony and the others of my group and pick up Sherry at her apartment." Zach said.

Nami nodded, taking in all the scraps of information,

"Alright… let's go." She said.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o

"Hold on… so you're telling me that Thunder and Lightning were kidnapped? That's not cool…" The Snow Miser exclaimed after his windbag of a brother had finished explaining the current events, "How did this happen?"

The North Wind gave a sigh, putting his hand to his forehead,

"Some evil force has taken them… Mother and the others are searching right now… but no one knows where they are… and Tsunami went down to look in the human world…" He said.

"B-by herself?!" The Heat Miser yelped, looking at his brother in disbelief, "You let her go on her own? What were you thinking?! She could get lost… or worse!"

The Snow Miser nodded in agreement,

"Does mother know about this?" He asked, looking at his other brother suspiciously.

The North Wind visibly hesitated,

"Well…not _exactly_…" he said, "But I'm _sure_ she'll be fine…"

"Someone should go down there and get her… we don't want anything to happen to her…" Heat Miser said, "But how are we supposed to get down… Christmas isn't for another week… that won't give us enough time… besides… our sister and her husband are probably in danger!"

The North Wind looked uncomfortable as his two brothers ranted about all the terrible things that could happen… he never wanted anyone to get hurt in this scheme… just the sheer power that Smog had promised him; nothing more than that.

However, something didn't seem right… how would Smog _give_ him the power he desired and where would he get it from… perhaps one of his many concoctions would come to hand… he couldn't guess… but something didn't feel right…but he didn't know what.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Thunder paced the perimeter of his cell, trying to figure any way out.

"Thunder please… just sit down… I'm sure my brothers and mother will figure a way out of all of this… there's nothing more we can do…" Lightning said, trying to comfort her agitated husband.

"I won't take that as an answer, Lightning… there _has_ to be _something_ we can do to get out of here…" Thunder answered, as he continued to pace.

Lightning sank back to her small corner, not knowing what else to do… she had never felt so helpless in her entire life.

"Please… whatever you can do… please help us…" she whispered in a soft prayer to her family.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Deep within his lab, Smog poured over dozens of books, each of them hand written and splattered with black ink.

"Yes… all my calculations are correct…" he said, a dark smirk lining his face, as his index finger traced a specific line in a red, leather-bound book, "If all goes as planned… I'll only need to wait until the time is right, retrieve Tsunami, and all shall go smoothly… Oh… all that power… I can feel it surging through my veins… I will be the most powerful of all the Elements, and not even my SISTER can stop me…"

He laughed manically, throwing his head back as his claws curled in front of his chest. However, his laughter was cut off as he felt a stinging pain seep into his chest. His heart started pounding and sweat broke from his forehead.

He gasped, clutching his chest tightly, as his ability to breathe was steadily being lost to him. As full on pain came to his center, he staggered over to his lab table, where several translucent, yet colored vials sat watching him… watching his _suffering_.

Slowly, his form changed, as his claws slowly became hands and his dragon's muzzle slowly morphed into a delicate face and hawk-like nose. Long grey hair sprouted from his head and travelled slowly down his neck, until it reached his shoulders. His long, crimson cloak covered his thin frame as he reached for a green vial with shaky, trembling hands.

Once he reached it, he uncorked it and drank the contents desperately. Slowly, his dragon form returned, as did the dark reptilian smile that went along with it.

He looked himself over quickly, checking to see that everything was alright, and it was…the pain slowly dissipated from his body as he almost sensed the concoction seeping through his veins.

He collapsed into a chair, letting his body once again reach its equilibrium. He breathed deeply, as the silence of the room filled him… along with silence, came thoughts… and with thoughts, came the past… and he _hated_ the past…

As hard as he tried to push the thoughts aside, they were persistent… or rather…_she _was persistent… perhaps it was her spirit, longing not to be forgotten… but that was one answer that his alchemy could never bring to him…a peace that fate would never allow to come to his cursed form.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Susan, wait up!" a young man with sparkling eyes, and black hair said, running towards his beloved, his crimson cape blowing behind him.

The young girl, his beloved, looked back with her delicate, luminous blue eyes, her blonde hair surrounding her beautiful face.

"Oh, come now, my dear… surely, as a foreign knight, you can run faster than me, a young milkmaid." Susan giggled.

The man laughed,

"Well, when one has been working with an axe all day, I have an excuse to be at least weary…" he answered, fighting back the urge to take her into his arms gracefully.

He caught up to her and she leaned out to kiss him, but the man took a step back to avoid her.

Her eyes shone with tears as she realized her mistake.

"I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me…" she said, her voice broken, "I keep forgetting that you don't like to be touched…or kissed…"

The man's expression turned cold and melancholy,

"It's not that I don't _want_ your affections… because I _do_…more than _anything in the WORLD_!" he said, "It's just that… I'm cursed…I don't want to lose you…"

He went as close as he could to her, but no further.

"You're always talking about that silly curse… yet I see no evidence of it!" Susan said, "I don't understand how you would lose me if I gave you a simple kiss!"

The words hurt him, and he flinched slightly.

"I would tell you more if I was able to… but I can't… Don't you see…? We're not the same… but despite all that, I _love you…_" He answered frantically.

"I never doubted your love…" Susan said, "But the depths of it are a bit shaky… Love can conquer anything…even a curse…"

She took several steps towards him, and once again, the man stepped back.

"No… I don't want to take _any_ chances… no… not with _your_ life…" He said seriously, "Anything, but your life…"

Susan nodded, realizing that nothing, not even her affections could sway his opinion. She just smiled, though her heart burned with sadness.

"You needn't say any more." She said quietly, "I'll never mention it again."

The man smiled,

"Good…" he said, "I appreciate it, Susan… I really do…"

She didn't answer, but only looked out to the horizon of the stone valley in which they frolicked. In the distance, there were snow-capped mountains and clouds even further than that…. What lay beyond that was a mystery to her.

"The sun is setting… I should be heading back to Lord Valiente's castle…he and the other servants are probably looking for me by now…" Susan said.

The man nodded,

"Of course, m'lady." He said; his voice gentle and soft in texture.

As he turned, his ears picked up a crumbling sound, and soon, her screams came with it.

She had fallen off the cliff, and gripped the edge for dear life.

"I can't get up…" she cried, tears of pure fear pouring down her face.

The man hesitated, but as she slid further, he fell to his knees, reaching his hand out to her.

She grabbed it, and the touch surged through both of their bodies. The man looked down at Susan with horror in his eyes…

"Wh-what have I done…?" he gasped breathlessly.

Gradually, her eyes closed and her touch grew cold in his hand… she looked up at him with glassy eyes…a look that would haunt him forever…and what she said to him would keep his soul from resting.

"I'm sorry… and never forget me and our love…_Smog_…"

And with that final sentence, she dropped into the gorge below, never to be seen again.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Smog looked up, his draconic eyes filled with familiar tears as he looked down at his clawed hands… hands that weren't meant to bring life… only death…

He had learned too late how to control his abilities…

"If only I had worked harder… then you might still be alive, Susan…" he growled.

He stood up with rage, and with one swipe of his huge paw, he knocked aside countless test tubes, and chemicals spilled everywhere…. But it would do no good… Susan would never return to his side….

Not even he, cursed with the Element of Death and Destruction, could reverse his sins.

((I hope you like this chapter… I know, it's really dark, but I really enjoyed writing it… Please, leave reviews, positive or negative! ))


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